Honey BeePests and Diseases

Wright County Beekeepers

July 10, 2014

Presented by: Rick Bledsoe

Sm al l H ive Beet le (SHB)

First Identified in Florida in 1998.

Widespread throughout the southern US.

This pest can fly up to 15 miles.

The adult beetle does not harm the bees directly; it’s the larva that feed on the honey, pollen, and brood.

Sm al l H ive Beet le (SHB)

SHB Larvae

Potential Hive Damage by Small Hive Beetle Larvae

Contaminated honey:SHB larval defecation in honey introduces yeast which will result in fermentation

Queen may cease laying

Absconding of the bees

Maintain a clean strong hive

Don’t put your hives in full shade

Sm al l H ive Beet le (SHB)

Diatomaceous Earth: a siliceous sedimentary rock that slices the insects as they crawl on and in the ground.

Chemical treatments – not needed in this area

Sm al l H ive Beet le (SHB)

Sunlight—avoid shady locations

Don’t let your honey sit when getting ready to process. Make sure you process it immediately! They can take over your supers of honey you just pulled off.

Consider placing a fluorescent light on the floor of your honey house while extracting honey to attract SHB larva.

Important!

Wax Mot hs

Strong hives will kill wax moths and their larva.

Freezing frames for 48 hours will kill eggs—after winter arrives your frames should be safe until spring.

Wax moths feed on the comb. Storage of honey supers is critical.

The napthalene is toxic and staysin the wax

Ant s and ot her insec t s

Other insects shouldn’t be much of a problem. The bees should be able to defend against them.

Keep a strong hive.

The bees will probably be in a cluster and won’t be able to get them out.

Mice

They like the food, shelter and warmth of the hive.

Raccoons and SkunksThey like to eat the bees.

Elevating the hives off theground helps the bees to fend them off.

Consider top entrance.Board with nails to prevent standing in front of hive. Chicken wire may help.

Bears

They can be very determined. They are after the brood and the honey. You’ll probably have to fence in the bee yard. An electric fence can be a deterrent.

The Conservation Department may be of help.

Bear Sightings in Southern Missouri

Am er ic an Foulbrood (AFB)

A spore-forming bacterium.

Begins when larva ingest spores from contaminated food.

Inside the larva’s gut the spores germinate and become active, then invades the body tissue.

The larva/pupa dies after the cell is capped.

Am er ic an Foulbrood Sym pt om s

Cappings will appear sunken, perforated, discolored, or greasy.

Very foul odor.

Brood pattern will be scattered and spotty.

The contents of the cells will be a ropey goo.

HOLTS milk tes t

Combine one teaspoon powdered milk with 100 ml (slightly less than half cup) of water and mix thoroughly.

Pour the milk into two small, clear, glass vials or other similar containers.

Collect sample by opening a diseased cell and stirring the contents with a toothpick. Collect as much of the larval remains as possible on the toothpick and place in a clean container or wrap in foil.

Pos itive AF B s ample

Insert the sample into oneof the prepared vials. Do nothing with the second sample. Place both vials in a warm location for one hour.

After one hour examine the samples. If the sample is positive, the vial with the AFB sample will become clear. Use the second sample for comparison.

Am er ic an Foulbrood Treat m entDestroy Hives.The spores will survive 50

years or longer by burying them.

Terramycin antibiotic treatment will treat the disease but will not affect the spores.

There have been reports of AFB being resistant to Terramycin.

MAKE SURE you sterilize all equipment after you’ve been in a hive infected with AFB.

AFB is the deadliest disease for bees.

Am er ic an Foulbrood Treat m entBeekeepers in the US have used antibiotics as a

preventative treatment for AFB. This practice is no longer recommended. Why?- The antibiotic kills ONLY the vegetative

disease, which is not infectious. Antibiotics do not kill the infectious spores.

- Regular, preventative doses of antibiotics is one factor that promotes the development of resistance to the antibiotic.

- Routine doses of antibiotics gives the beekeeper a false sense of security.

Alternative Treatment for AFB

Set up new hive bodies with new frames of foundation.

Shake bees off frames of infected hive into new hive.

Treat bees with Terramycin or Tylan as directed.

Requeen the affected colony.

Alternative Treatment for AFB Burn frames from infected hive.

Destroy by burning, or scorch the inside surfaces with a torch.

Alternative Treatment for AFB

Consider if risk is worth it

Some states have required burning of hives infected with AFB

Missouri does not require burning

Sterilize all tools to avoid infecting other hives

European Foulbrood (EFB)A bacterial disease of the larva.Not as destructive as AFB.EFB bacteria don’t form persistent spores, unlike

AFB.Begins when larva ingest bacteria from contaminated

food. Inside the larva’s gut the bacteria grows and then

competes for nutrients causing the larva to eat more.The nurse bees may detect this and discard the larva

or it will end up dying.

European Foulbrood (EFB) Sym pt om s

May have a sour odor

Dead uncapped brood

Cells will not be ropey

Larva may appear

tan or brown

European Foulbrood (EFB) Treat m ent

Re-Queening is the preferred treatment

Terramycin antibiotic treatment is the medication authorized by the FDA

Treat with antibiotics only if colony does not recover on it’s own

Many times clears up on its own

Don’t use antibiotics as a preventative—bacteria will become immune to treatment

A common disease that infects the intestinal tract of adult bees.Similar to dysentery in humans.Affects adult honey bees.

Nosema

Two Strains: ●Nosema Apis

●Nosema Ceranae

Originally found in the Asian honey bee. Crossed over to the European honey bee.One of the major suspects in CCD.

Nosema

Nosem a Sym pt om sSpring colonies build up slowly or not at all.

Bees appear weak and may crawl aimlessly around the front of the hive.

The hive has a characteristic spotting. Mustard-brown feces may appear on or around the hive.

Nosem a Treat m ent

Fumagilin-B is the only EPA registered treatment.

Treat with Fumagilin-B in the Fall and Spring.

Mix it in with feed (sugar syrup). Make sure you follow directions.

Soluble with feed and mixes easily.

Honey-B-Healthy is thought to have positive effect on nosema.

Chalk broodA Common fungal disease that affects the

larva.

Passed to larva by direct contact or eating contaminated food.

Fungus germinates and invades the gut and competes for nutrients.

If the larva dies, the fungus invades the body and forms sporulating bodies that propagate the pathogen.

Most common in damp conditions.

Chalk brood Treat m ent s

No registered chemical treatments.

Look at hive ventilation.

Replace old comb with new foundation.

Strongly consider re-queening the hive.

Don’t raise a queen from a hive that has had chalkbrood.

Sac broodSacbrood is a viral disease of

the blood. Similar to the common cold.

This a rare disease and will probably clear up on it’s own.

Larva will appear grayish to black.

Skin has a watery, sack-like appearance.

There is no approved chemical treatment.

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/AGRS116.pdf

What killed my bees?For brood disease laboratory diagnosis,send samples to:

The Beltsville Bee LabBldg. 476BARC-EastBeltsville, MD 20705Phone: 301-504-8250

http://ars.usda.gov